Articles
WETTING AGENTS USED IN CONTAINER SUBSTRATES ARE THEY BMP’S?
Article number
450_37
Pages
313 – 320
Language
Abstract
Commercial grower mixes containing sphagnum peat routinely contain wetting agents.
Studies report that coarse dry potting components such as pinc bark can be more thoroughly moistened if wetting agents are used.
Under frequent leaching irrigations, wetting agents have been reported to enhance nutrient leaching from substrates.
Effective longevity of previously tested wetting agents was considered to be only 3 to 4 weeks.
New products claim greater longevity and advertise that less water volume is required for optimum plant growth.
One such product is Saturaid (Debco Pty, Ltd.
Victoria.
Australia). The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of Saturaid on air and water properties of a course substrate, nutrient levels and the effect on growth under decreasing irrigation volume.
The granular wetting agent was incorporated into a pine bark substrate at 0.1.0 and 2.0 g/l substrate volume. Cotoneaster dummeri ‘Skogholm’ plants were potted into 2.8 1 pots and irrigated with 500 ml of water per container for 22 days after which 1/3 of the containers received 425 ml (15% reduction) and another 1/3 were irrigated with 350 ml (30% reduction) daily.
Saturaid had little effect on moisture and air characteristics compared to the control, no effect on foliar nutrients or on nutrients in leachates collected at 43, 64 or 84 days after potting.
When irrigation volume was decreased there was a linear increase in shoot dry weight.
Wetting agent rate had no effect on shoot or root dry weight at the highest irrigation volume.
At the 2 g/l 2 wetting agent rate, shoot dry weight exhibited a quadratic growth response, with the plants receiving the largest volume of water having the least shoot dry weight.
Root dry weight at the lowest (350 ml) irrigation volume increased with increasing wetting agent rate, but no effect was observed at greater irrigation volume.
It was concluded that the product continued to be effective after 22 days when irrigation was decreased in 2/3 of the test plants, however the exact longevity of the product was not evaluated.
At low irrigation volumes or under conditions of irrigation conservation, this wetting agent has potential to enhance plant growth.
Studies report that coarse dry potting components such as pinc bark can be more thoroughly moistened if wetting agents are used.
Under frequent leaching irrigations, wetting agents have been reported to enhance nutrient leaching from substrates.
Effective longevity of previously tested wetting agents was considered to be only 3 to 4 weeks.
New products claim greater longevity and advertise that less water volume is required for optimum plant growth.
One such product is Saturaid (Debco Pty, Ltd.
Victoria.
Australia). The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of Saturaid on air and water properties of a course substrate, nutrient levels and the effect on growth under decreasing irrigation volume.
The granular wetting agent was incorporated into a pine bark substrate at 0.1.0 and 2.0 g/l substrate volume. Cotoneaster dummeri ‘Skogholm’ plants were potted into 2.8 1 pots and irrigated with 500 ml of water per container for 22 days after which 1/3 of the containers received 425 ml (15% reduction) and another 1/3 were irrigated with 350 ml (30% reduction) daily.
Saturaid had little effect on moisture and air characteristics compared to the control, no effect on foliar nutrients or on nutrients in leachates collected at 43, 64 or 84 days after potting.
When irrigation volume was decreased there was a linear increase in shoot dry weight.
Wetting agent rate had no effect on shoot or root dry weight at the highest irrigation volume.
At the 2 g/l 2 wetting agent rate, shoot dry weight exhibited a quadratic growth response, with the plants receiving the largest volume of water having the least shoot dry weight.
Root dry weight at the lowest (350 ml) irrigation volume increased with increasing wetting agent rate, but no effect was observed at greater irrigation volume.
It was concluded that the product continued to be effective after 22 days when irrigation was decreased in 2/3 of the test plants, however the exact longevity of the product was not evaluated.
At low irrigation volumes or under conditions of irrigation conservation, this wetting agent has potential to enhance plant growth.
Authors
T.E. Bilderback, M.R. Lorscheider
Keywords
Air space, container capacity, available water, unavailable water content, Cotoneaster dammeri ‘Skogholm’
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